


midnight sunshine

by nsykdk



Series: subahokke week 2020 [2]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Birthday Presents, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, SubaHokkeWeek2020, blacksmith apprentice hokuto, excessive comparison of subaru to the sun, happy birthday subaru, prince subaru, royalty/blacksmith apprentice au, theatre club are the blacksmiths, yes i swapped the roles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24637636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nsykdk/pseuds/nsykdk
Summary: The will clock strike twelve soon, but time stops in this garden just for a moment so the sun can shine at midnight.[ subahokke week 2020 day 2 || birthday ]
Relationships: Akehoshi Subaru/Hidaka Hokuto
Series: subahokke week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1781359
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	midnight sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> for subahokke week day 2, prompt birthday! the full list of prompts can be found [here on twitter](https://twitter.com/subahokkeweek) and it's run by my good friend mao! [they're on ao3 here!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/winter_mao_flower)
> 
> happy birthday, little ray of sunshine! i love you subaru
> 
> so... my absolute FAVOURITE royals au ever is the royalty and blacksmith apprentice ship au. and i have like three different ideas for this au but here is one of them... this is also related to [ch25 of sunsets](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22893403/chapters/59891593)! anyway. the absolute ENERGY of this pair trope is so good and i love it so much hh now please enjoy all this fluff

"My, Hokuto-kun, you're still hard at work?"

"Buchou!" Startled, Hokuto fumbles with his pair of tweezers, sending it hurtling to the floor with a clatter. "Why are you still here?"

"I've told you not to call me that any more," Wataru sighs, as he bends down to retrieve the tweezers, "and more importantly," he adds, "your little date time is near, is it not?"

Ah. He's completely forgotten about the time.

Wataru continues, "Tomoya-kun delivered your message rather well, don't you think?"

"Don't go prying into other people's business, Hibiki-senpai." Hokuto sets the tweezers down to frown at the jewel in his hands, searching for imperfections.

"It does become my business when my dear apprentice is using _my_ smithy to lovingly craft handmade jewelry for the crown prince every night," Wataru croons. "And you'd better leave now if you still want to meet your darling prince."

"I haven't cleaned up- you- and how did you know-"

"As your brilliant mentor, I shall do you a favour this one time!" With a flourish, Wataru begins to push Hokuto towards the front of the shop, where he picks up a jewelry box and a round polished-metal mirror, and presses those into Hokuto's hands. "Good luck, Hokuto-kun."

Hokuto feels a smile tug at his lips as he sets the pendant into the box and pockets it. "Thank you, Hibiki-senpai. I will be off."

* * *

The bells chime half past the eleventh hour as Hokuto hurries along the darkened streets, boots clicking harshly on the slick cobblestones. There are barely any people around, but for good reason, he supposes: the crown prince's coming of age is always a large celebration, and most must be preparing for the parades and parties to take place the next day.

By the time he reaches the castle gates, the clock has chimed the final quarter-hour; the main gates buzzing with well-wishers. Hokuto heads around the crowd and towards a gate hidden in the shadows, fishing the key Tomoya had given him from his pocket and fitting it into the lock. He emerges into a garden filled with lush foliage and dim lanternlight, carefully shutting the gate behind him.

"You're late." Subaru peers out from behind a hedge, pouting as he beckons Hokuto over. "Tomoyan said you'd be here a quarter-hour ago."

"I'm sorry," Hokuto huffs, suddenly feeling rather conscious of his lateness. Subaru hides a laugh behind his hand, already reaching out for Hokuto with his other, tugging at the sleeve of his worn shirt.

"So? What did you tell me to meet you here for? I'm a busy, busy prince, you know?" There's a brightness in Subaru's voice that seems to fill the entire garden with light; lilting and melodic. It's something he loves about Subaru; how he seems to brighten every place he goes with a gentle glow, his brilliant sunshine smile.

Hokuto feels his stomach drop, a fluttering beginning inside. He hasn't practiced this at all; he's been so caught up in getting the pendant perfect and finished that he'd completely neglected the idea of _giving_ the gift to Subaru. "Um."

"Hmm?"

"I, um." Hokuto fumbles in his pocket for the jewelry box, gripping it tightly in his hands as he holds it out in front of him. "I- I got you a present. For- for your birthday."

For a heart-stopping, breath-held moment, there's complete and utter silence in the garden as Subaru stares at him, eyes slowly widening, lips hanging apart in shock.

And then Subaru's warm hands are taking the box from Hokuto's cold ones, carefully flipping open the lid of the box. Hokuto knows what's inside by heart, can remember every detail of the pendant from its vibrant blue sapphire to the intricate golden details; down to the way he'd painstakingly inscribed Subaru's name in the back in elegant letters.

"Oh," Subaru breathes, just loud enough for Hokuto to hear over the sound of his loudly beating heart. "Didn't you say this was for an order?"

"It _was_ ," Hokuto whispers, feeling just as breathless. "You said you liked it."

_"Hokke."_ Subaru wraps his arms around Hokuto, the reprimanding tone melting into fondness as he squeezes Hokuto tightly, laughter trembling through his body. "You're going to lose your apprenticeship if you keep stealing gems, you know?"

"Mm," he mumbles in reply, quietly setting his arms around Subaru's waist, feeling his warmth gently seep into cold fingers. "Do you like it?"

"I loooove it!" Subaru smiles, and it's like he has the world at his fingertips, twisting back the threads of time; like the sun is shining even though it's nearing midnight. "Can I wear it?"

And Hokuto feels his heart stutter in his chest as he nods, just once. He slides the mirror from his pocket, handing it to Subaru. "Close your eyes."

Gently, he takes the pendant from the box and drapes the chain around Subaru's neck, fingers trembling as he fastens the clasp. It's perfect, shining a deep blue like the night sky; little silvery dangling stars over the jewel catching prettily in the orange glow of the lantern.

He really is beautiful, Hokuto thinks, feeling the smile tug at his lips. His voice is quiet as he positions the mirror in Subaru's hands. "You can open your eyes now."

Subaru's wobbly smile blooms wide, spreading rosy across his cheeks and lighting up his eyes, and suddenly they're tumbling to the ground with Subaru's arms around Hokuto's neck, giggling peals of laughter floating through the night air.

"I'm glad you like it," Hokuto breathes, the sight of Subaru's smile sending his heart fluttering with a happy warmth. He knows he shouldn't be falling in love with Subaru, but the sight of his sunshine smile, the sparkle of his eyes are somehow a little too much for his heart.

Subaru smiles down at him, pulls Hokuto into orbit effortlessly, like the world revolves around his sunlight.

"Hokke, can I kiss you?"

And Hokuto forgets how to breathe.

"You shouldn't," he whispers, and Subaru laughs, teasing, as the bells chime midnight.

"It's not about whether we should or not, Hokke. It's about whether you want to or not."

It all breaks with those words, because he's whispering _"yes"_ against Subaru's lips like they're a lifeline. He lets it all go, the world shrinking down to midnight sunshine and the way Subaru laughs and smiles into the kiss, gentle and breathtaking.

(Subaru's love is everything he's ever wanted.)

"Happy birthday, Akehoshi."

**Author's Note:**

> you like that? well i do too :)
> 
> thanks for reading, keep looking forward to the rest of subahokke week! twitter [@subahokke](https://twitter.com/subahokke)!


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